The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani

Latest Episodes:

UFC & WWE merger reaction, Anthony Pettis, Eddie Hearn, Kayla Harrison, Michael Chiesa, and more Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

Ariel Helwani discusses the big news of UFC parent company Endeavor announcing the purchase of the WWE, which organization will be helped more by the sale, what’s next for the fighters and wrestlers, and more.

Michael Chiesa around (41:37) discusses his cancelled UFC 287 fight against Li Jingliang, how many replacement fighters turned the fight down, why he wants Gunnar Nelson next, why he’s willing to wait for the fight, whether Kevin Lee was ever in the equation, his loss to Sean Brady, overcoming injuries, why Belal Muhammad should be the next challenger for Leon Edwards rather than Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal’s place in the division, the WWE purchase, and more.

Kayla Harrison around (1:10:37) discusses life since her PFL loss, why the setback was one of the best things to happen to her career, how she had a spiritual awakening and found peace from the experience, wanting to be in the current PFL season, his future with the promotion, and more.

Eddie Hearn around (1:36:29) discusses the WWE/UFC news by Endeavor, if Endeavor will get Into the sport of boxing, if Matchroom Boxing would be for sale, what he thought of Anthony Joshua’s fight, Francis Ngannou’s chances against Joshua, what could be next for Joshua, why the Fury vs. Usyk fight didn’t happen, Katie Taylor’s next fight, his trip to the Black Forge Inn, if Canelo Alvarez will fight David Benavidez, his support for Conor Benn, and more.

Anthony Pettis around (2:19:08) discusses his win over Roy Jones Jr. in his boxing debut, if he will return to the PFL or box again, the experience fighting for Gamebred Boxing, why he was wearing No. 17 jersey, who impressed him the most at Gamebred Boxing, his brother Sergio against Pitbull, Benson Henderson’s retirement, and more.

The parlay pals around (2:53:43) discuss their latest pick and make their upcoming pick for this weekend.

GC around (3:00:03) also makes his picks for UFC 287.

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What's next for Poirier, welterweight drama, issues with judges, and a big weekend preview Mar 29, 2023

Show notes

In a special edition of The MMA Hour, Ariel Helwani answers your questions about Dustin Poirier’s future, welterweight drama and more in the latest On The Nose, previews a very busy weekend slate for combat sports, and helps the parlay pals make their latest pick.

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Jorge Masvidal, Cory Sandhagen, Valentina Shevchenko, Nate Landwehr, Dakota Ditcheva, and more Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

Ariel Helwani around (8:25) discusses the UFC San Antonio main event, the performance by Cory Sandhagen, the judging in Texas, the scary scene at Fury FC 76, and more.

PFL prospect Dakota Ditcheva around (41:33) discusses her first-round win over Malin Hermansson at PFL Europe, her road to MMA, fighting as a 4-year-old, people proclaiming her as the next Ronda Rousey, getting the first submission of her career, goals of being a UFC champion one day, and more.

Jorge Masvidal around (1:02:22) discusses his upcoming Gamebred Boxing 4 card, juggling that and his UFC 287 fight against Gilbert Burns, Leon Edwards’s win over Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington’s title shot claim, Khamzat Chimaev, and more.

Cory Sandhagen around (1:31:19) discusses his win over Marlon Vera at UFC San Antonio, if it was his best performance in the UFC, the turning point before the fight, the differences between Dominick Cruz and him, the judging of his fight, how he would fix poor judges and officials, and more.

Valentina Shevchenko around (1:59:39) discusses her loss to Alexa Grasso at UFC 285, what went wrong in the fight, if she overlooked Grasso, the submission, the rematch, how long she wants to compete, her problem with one of the ref’s decisions during the fight, and more.

Nate Lendwehr around (2:27:43) discusses his big win at UFC San Antonio, his post-fight speech, what happened to his shirt under his suit, visiting the Alamo, why things have worked out so well in Miami, and more.

The parlay pals around (2:54:57) look back at their most recent selection, and GC looks back at his picks from UFC San Antonio.

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Khamzat Chinaev, Rafael Fiziev, Jeff Molina, Jay Hieron in studio, Leon Edwards' coach Dave Lovell, and more Mar 23, 2023

Show notes

Rafael Fiziev around (4:28) discusses his loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 286, what went wrong, why he likes a bloody picture from the fight, if he wishes there was two more rounds, and more.

In the latest edition of On the Nose around (24:07), Ariel Helwani discusses what’s next for Cory Sandhagen and Chito Vera, Colby Covington’s title shot and the reaction to his return, Covington’s comments about Jon Anik, how much power Leon Edwards has with the UFC, how competitive Ariel is, pies, and more.

Khamzat Chimaev around (1:18:27) discusses his lengthy absence from the Octagon, why he won’t fight during Ramadan, what happened with the Colby Covington fight, what happened with the Nate Diaz fight, his chances against Alex Pereira, training with Neil Magny, Bo Nickal’s comments, when he wants to return, and more.

Dave Lovell, a coach for Leon Edwards around (1:57:18), discusses Edwards’ performance at UFC 286, how the champ was different in the rematch, Kamaru Usman’s comments, the gameplan for Usman, his message to Leon Edwards before the final round, what the win meant, Colby Covington or Belal Muhammad, and more.

Jay Hieron around (2:19:51) drops by the studio to discuss his role in Road House with Conor McGregor and Jake Gyllenhaal, the scenes he filmed at UFC 285, his acting career, how he got into acting, why he stopped fighting, acting with Denzel Washington, and more.

Jeff Molina around (3:07:57) discusses why he released a statement on social media revealing he was bisexual, how people have reacted since, why he almost didn’t do the interview, his last UFC performance, if he is still in the UFC, his charity work, and more.

The parlay pals around (4:30:59) make their pick for this upcoming weekend, and GC around (4:34:50) reveals his bets for UFC San Antonio.

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UFC 286 reactions, Leon Edwards, Alexa Grasso, Muhammad Mokaev, Jack Shore, Yanal Ashmouz, and more Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

Leon Edwards around (2:11) discusses his title defense at UFC 286, Kamaru Usman’s pre-fight trash talk, his pre-fight gunshot gesture, the fouls during the fight, Colby Covington’s appearance at fight week, if Covington deserves a title shot, who might be next for the title, how the tide has turned for the “Rocky” era, and more.

Ariel Helwani around (19:55) reacts to Leon Edwards’ trilogy win over Kamaru Usman at UFC 286, the promotion’s decision to award Colby Covington a title shot, the road forward for Kamaru Usman, and more.

Jack Shore around (1:02:38) discusses his UFC 286 win over Makwan Amirkhani, his move to featherweight, the reaction to last week’s controversial darts game against Ariel Helwani, his father’s cancer diagnosis, and what’s next. He also rematches Helwani in a high-stakes winner-take-all darts showdown.

Muhammad Mokaev around (1:56:15) discusses his UFC 286 win over Jafel Filho, the kneebar submission that nearly ended his night, the state of his knee moving forward, breaking Filho mentally, when he wants to return, his altercations with Jake Hadley, and more.

Alexa Grasso around (2:19:32) discusses her historic upset of Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 285, how her life has changed, where her belt is located, what her fight week was like, how she pulled off the finish of Shevchenko, and more.

Yanal Ashmouz around (2:50:08) breaks down his UFC 286 performance, what happened with him and the PFL, when he would like to return, how he looks like Sami Zayn, how he got his nickname, and more.

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Conor McGregor: The MMA Hour Special In-Studio Edition Mar 16, 2023

Show notes

Conor McGregor discusses TUF 31, facing Michael Chandler, almost facing Nate Diaz in a trilogy match, Francis Ngannou’s departure from the UFC, the night he was injured at UFC 264, acting in the movie Road House, 155 or 170 pounds for his return, Jon Jones’ recent win, Ian Garry, and more.

Ariel Helwani, GC, and NYRic then recap and break down the interview with Conor McGregor.

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Francis Ngannou, Dan Hardy, Veronica Hardy, Joe Markowski in studio, and more Mar 15, 2023

Show notes

Dan Hardy around (3:16) discusses his new gig with the PFL, what his responsibilities will be, how the PFL can make a bigger impact in Europe, if he will ever fight again, how he met his wife, the UFC 286 main event, and more.

Veronica Hardy around (26:39) discusses why she’s been out so long, learning MMA from her coach and husband Dan Hardy, her past concussion issues, the multiple countries she has lived in, rooting for Nottingham Forest, and more.

In the latest On the Nose around (43:46), Ariel Helwani discusses where Kamaru Usman would be on p4p list with a win, UFC 286 main event scenarios, instant rematches, the best division in MMA, best fight for bantamweight title, a closer look at Dartsgate, Canelo Alvarez’s next fight,

Francis Ngannou around (1:45:11) discusses the Jon Jones vs. Ciryle Gane fight, what he thought of the UFC belt up for grabs, if he could attend a UFC event, Dana White’s comments, where he might compete in MMA next, Deontay Wilder, how many times he might fight this year, hanging out with Cristiano Ronaldo, and more.

DAZN USA CEO Joe Markowski around (2:23:06) talks about getting back into the MMA business, the Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia negotiations, Misfits Boxing, darts, the Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn, Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano, and more.

The parlay pals around (3:15:24) make their pick for UFC 286 on Saturday night, and GC around (3:27:02) makes his picks.

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Merab Dvalishvili, Tom Aspinall, Benson Henderson, Jack Shore, and more Mar 13, 2023

Show notes

Ariel Helwani and crew around (3:05) discuss Merab Dvalishvili’s impressive win at UFC Las Vegas, the issues with Power Slap, the best and division in the UFC, how Bellator’s champs stack up against the UFC, Bellator 292, how successful the Davis vs. Garcia PPV will be, and more.

Merab Dvalishvili around (1:06:41) wraps his UFC Las Vegas win, his issues with Petr Yan before the fight, Dana White’s recent comments, the possible plan for this return, Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo, and more.

Benson Henderson around (1:38:08) discusses his performance at Bellator 292, why he decided to call it quits, how good Usman Nurmagomedov is, when he finally realized he was good in MMA, fighting with a toothpick in his mouth, the UFC Hall of Fame, and more.

Jack Shore around (2:02:08) discusses his move to featherweight, if he ever will fight at bantamweight again, losing his perfect record, facing Makwan Amirkhani at UFC 286, his respect for the Diaz brothers, his love for darts, and more.

Tom Aspinall around (2:38:17) discusses his knee injury and his place in the heavyweight division, the return of Jon Jones, why he might not fight him, Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane, Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, when he could return, his issues with Conor McGregor, Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3, Tommy Fury vs. Jake Paul, and more.

The parlay pals around (3:08:27) look back at their most recent pick this past weekend, and GC recaps his recent picks as well.

Ariel Helwani and crew also around (3:19:07) take a closer look into a virtual dart match controversy on The MMA Hour with Jack Shore. Shore also calls in to give his side of the story.

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Michael Rapaport in studio, Michael Page, Dricus Du Plessis, Joanne Wood, Brandon Gibson, and more Mar 08, 2023

Show notes

Dricus Du Plessis around (4:38) discusses his win at UFC 285, why he was surprised he won, his nose injury, his opponent throwing in the towel, what might be next, and more.

Joanne Wood around (23:58) discusses her upcoming fight at UFC 286, what this UK fight means to her, her first dog, losing her accent, hockey vs. NFL, why she was out so long, Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko, how much time she has left, and more.

In the latest edition of On the Nose around (47:15), Ariel Helwani talks about the current crop of UFC stars, the best two-division champions, Jon Jones’ only loss, a YouTube strategy made by certain influencers, and more.

MVP around (1:30:46) discusses his upcoming Bellator 292 fight against Goiti Yamauchi, his BKFC fight against Mike Perry, if he will ever do it again, Logan Storley vs. Yaroslav Amosov, KSI’s last boxing fight, and more.

Brandon Gibson, Jon Jones’ striking coach around (1:48:51), discusses Jones’ performance at UFC 285, the transition to Jones from light heavyweight to heavyweight, if Jones lacked motivation at end of LHW tenure, the absence of Mike Winkeljohn, the potential Stipe Miocic fight, Aaron Pico’s return, and more.

Michael Rapaport around (2:12:41) discusses the state of podcasts, who has more beefs Ariel or Michael, the murders of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., Rapaport’s return to Cleveland, his issues with James Dolan, Jon Jones’ performance at UFC 285, his relationship with Dana White, his issues with Jake Paul, his love for Nate Diaz, and more.

The parlay pals around (4:03:58) make their pick for this upcoming weekend with a UFC and Bellator events on tap, and GC around (4:08:16) makes his selections as well.

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UFC 285 reaction, Stipe Miocic, Anthony Smith, Bo Nickal, Ian Machado Garry, and more Mar 06, 2023

Show notes

Ariel Helwani around (7:14) wraps up UFC 285 and the memorable wins by Jon Jones, Alexa Grasso, and more. The team also discusses Ciryl Gane's lopsided loss and whether he was rushed to the top of the division, predictions for Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, whether or not Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou will ever happen and the disrespect to Ngannou's legacy and skillset, Alexa Grasso's win over Valentina Shevchenko, the potential for an immediate rematch, Shavkhat Rakhmonov's future in the UFC, and more.

Stipe Miocic around (59:16) talks about his trip to Las Vegas for UFC 285, his thoughts on Jon Jones' performance against Ciryl Gane, his reaction to Jones' post-win callout, when the fight is going to take place, whether the Jones fight will be his last, Jones' telling him to focus on fighting, his thoughts on Francis Ngannou's UFC departure, and more.

Ian Machado Garry around (1:26:16) wraps up his UFC 285 win, his meeting with Conor McGregor, why he was on the Jon Jones card, when he got rocked and how he bounced back, why he posted a pic of Song Kenan after the fight, what’s next, McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, and more.

Anthony Smith around (1:52:18) discusses Jon Jones’ performance at UFC 285, how Stipe Miocic would do against Jones, the Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko finish, UFC prospects on the rise, Cody Garbrandt’s future, the best light heavyweight on the planet, his return against Johnny Walker, why he missed weight at UFC 283, and more.

The MMA Hour team around (2:38:24) looks back at their latest parlay, and GC recaps his picks for this past weekend at UFC 285.

Bo Nickal around (2:58:00) discusses arriving in style at UFC 285 presser, if he was nervous, his performance, if he delivered low blow against Jamie Pickett, the finish, what he said on the cage after the win, Michael Chandler’s comments, his favorite moment of the week, when he wants to return, and more.

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